At this time, the City’s animal shelter does not offer any veterinary services to the public. Sugar Land is home to many wonderful veterinarians and practices. We suggest searching the internet, or asking a neighbor for a recommendation. If you are in need of low cost alternatives, you can contact one of the following.

At this time the City of Sugar Land does not have a license or registration program. State law does require that all dogs and cats over 4 months of age be current on their rabies vaccination. The city does require the rabies tag be displayed on your pet’s collar.

At this time, the City’s animal shelter does not offer any veterinary services to the public. Sugar Land is home to many wonderful veterinarians and practices. We suggest searching the internet, or asking a neighbor for a recommendation. If you are in need of low cost alternatives, you can contact one of the following.

Some No Kill facilities pre-screen what they will take into their shelter. Less desirable animals are not admitted or transferred to other facilities. Sugar Land's animal shelter is tasked with taking in all animals in our jurisdiction including strays, abandoned and injured animals, those with health issues from neglect, transmittable diseases, behavior issues, and aggression.

The "No Kill" Concept

A No Kill shelter is a great concept, but in reality even a No Kill shelter can euthanize 5-10% of its intake and still be considered No Kill. Maddie's Fund, an organization dedicated to increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education, and pet adoptions across the U.S., defines a No-Kill shelter as “an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for unhealthy and untreatable animals.” Maddie’s Fund also has detailed definitions for healthy, treatable, rehabilitatable and manageable animals.

Working Towards Forever Homes

The City’s Animal Shelter does not promote itself as a "no kill" animal shelter but does actively utilize multiple "no kill" strategies to ensure adoptable animals find a forever home. Even though the animal shelter has exceeded its capacity since 2015, the animal shelter does not euthanize for space. In addition, the City utilizes the following "no kill" strategies to ensure animals are adopted:

The City does not have a Trap Neuter and Release Program (TNR) and it is currently prohibited by City Ordinance. The Animal Advisory Board reviewed TNR during the February 12 board meeting. In a TNR program, community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to the shelter to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, treated for fleas, eartipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to the area where it was originally trapped. TNR claims various benefits which were detailed below with local facts.

Claims of TNR*

Facts

Increases Live Release Rate

Studies show that 56% of cats will fall victim to predation. 1

Reduces operating costs

Still costs of spay/neuter, vaccinations. 2

Reduces/eliminates behaviors that lead to nuisance complaints

Compliant behaviors include feces on property, living in yards, damage to vehicles.3

No confirmed case of cat to human rabies transmission in 30 years

In the state of Texas since 2007, there have been 193 positive rabid cats with 2 occurring in Fort Bend County.4

FIV and FeLV extremely rare

Since 2014, Sugar Land has had 14 cases in stray cats.5

Live full and healthy lives outdoors

Studies show a feral cat lives just 1-5 years when the normal lifespan is 12-20 years.6

No disease risk to humans

Intestinal parasites have been found in 75% of stray cats coming in the animal shelter.7

Based on the above information and lengthy discussion among the board members, the board decided not to implement a TNR program at this time, but all agreed education and outreach is needed to reduce the feral cat population.

Yes, we do provide traps. Our traps are live humane traps used for cats running at large and nuisance wildlife. Traps are available for 10 business days on a first come, first serve basis. Traps may be set from Sunday evening through 3 p.m. Friday and must be shut down for the weekends and holidays. Traps will be delivered to your doorstep with instructions on the rules, what to bait it with, and how to set it. If you choose to use your own trap you are subject to the same rules. To prevent injury to yourself, others and the animals please call Animal Services to relocate or impound Animals caught in traps. Some animals are illegal to transport per the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, including the transportation of raccoons which is a class C misdemeanor.

Though you may think the animal is a nuisance, it is a living creature and failure to provide shade, removal of trap in inclement weather, not contacting Animal Services in a reasonable time, or death to an animal in a trap can be construed as cruelty which is a felony offense.

Trapping should be a last resort for wildlife! Nature loves a vacuum. Removing the animal will just provide the opportunity for another to take its place. To solve the problem, the food source, shelter and water need to be removed or you will just get a replacement.